Welcome To Family Life
by hmwtwin01
Summary: Jarod feels the need to adopt a young boy while on the run. Miss Parker ends up along for the ride. Choices will be made, sides will be chosen...but the Centre will fall.
1. Chapter 1

This is my first Pretender Fanfic and for that matter, the first one ever! All things related to The Pretender are property of FOX and whoever else owns rights. This is just a little something for the fans, I OWN NOTHING. I do not gain anything from this except the pleasure of writing it.

This story just kind of came to me and I hope to be able to continue it in an interesting manner. I've read many stories where Parker and Jarod have a little girl and thought it might be nice to see if Jarod was the one to raise a kid…hard to explain. It's a little different…Jarod adopts….please read it. Constructive criticism is welcome and pointers are greatly appreciated. Just wanted to see if I could write a fanfic.

Welcome To Family Life

Introduction

Jarod met Cale on his last pretend in South Africa where he stopped a group of men from taking and abusing orphaned children for work in the fields. Cale was a quiet, but sweet well mannered boy with bright blue eyes and short dark brown hair. He was a six year old British boy with a charming personality. Villagers refused to accept him due to his crippled leg, making Cale an outsider with no hope for adoption. That is until he met Jarod…

The local orphanage was already housing too many children in the limited space it had; but thanks to Jarod, they would be adding more facilities to the orphanage. "How can we ever repay you Jarod," asked Kendra, the woman in charge. Jarod smiled and said, "No repayment will be necessary…I'm just glad to have been able to help." "Please come back and visit," Kendra said before turning to leave. "Actually, there is one thing I would like to do before I go," relied Jarod. As Kendra looked at him, Jarod replied, "I'd like to adopt Cale." "Wonderful, I'm sure Cale would be delighted seeing as how well you two get along," she said happily. "I'll go get the papers all set if you'd like to tell Cale the good news," she said turning to go to her office.

As Jarod walked the grounds, he smiled knowing that these kids would no longer have to worry about being taken, used, and abused. As a group of boys were playing with an old soccer ball outside, Jarod spotted Cale sitting on a low broken wall watching the game at a distance. Not long after, Cale saw Jarod and broke out into a grin as he waved to Jarod. "Hi Jarod," Cale said as Jarod came to sit beside him. "Hi buddy, I have something to tell you," Jarod said. "Are you leaving already," Cale asked sadly. "Yes, I'll be leaving tomorrow, but I'd like you to come with me," Jarod said carefully. Cale looked up and saw Jarod's expression. "You really mean it," asked Cale. Jarod smiled, "Yes, I want to be your father." Cale couldn't stop grinning and gave Jarod a big bear hug.

Kendra was very pleased watching the scene unfold. She knew of all people, Jarod would be able to give Cale a loving and understanding father.

Jarod scooped up Cale and walked back over the Kendra. "There are a few papers you'll need to sign before Cale can legally be your son." "Sure thing," Jarod replied. After about two hours, Jarod helped Cale pack up his few belongings before saying goodbye to Kendra. They then headed to Jarod's hotel.

The next day, they flew back to the states officially as father and son. Of course it helped that Jarod was able to make Cale a passport the night before. Jarod thought a cabin in the Rocky Mountains would be a nice place to lie low and let Cale adjust to a whole different environment.

Miss Parker, Sydney, and Broots hadn't heard from Jarod for a few weeks until a Centre employee claimed they saw Jarod in the Rockies when they were on vacation. Since it was the only information they had to go on, Miss Parker decided to go alone and see if she could find him. Sydney and Broots were not happy, but Mr. Raines and Lyle were very eager to jump in and take Jarod as their claim. So Sydney and Broots agreed to hide the details they received and told them Miss Parker had to leave unexpectedly for a while.

Jarod took Cale shopping for new clothes and shoes and then spent the day sightseeing after lunch. Later, Jarod introduced Cale to soft serve ice cream. Cale watched him take a bite of his ice cream before doing the same thing. "Wow, this is good!" Cale said between bites with a big grin. Jarod couldn't hold back his laugh, "See, I told you it was good." It had been three weeks since Jarod adopted Cale and although he didn't plan on becoming a father, he couldn't be happier. But, Jarod knew he would have to take The Centre once and for all if he was going to raise Cale.

It was such a beautiful day out, so Jarod decided to take Cale on a short hike to show him some mountain views. Although Cale had a limp, he didn't hesitate to walk on his own. As they began their adventure as father and son, Miss Parker stepped out of her rental car, a black Nissan, and spotted Jarod walking past a sign saying Big Bear Lake 3 miles. "Alright lab rat, I've got you now," she said quickly walking over to the entrance. She silently thanked herself for wearing tennis shoes with jeans and a t-shirt. She figured if she blended in, she'd have a better shot of catching Jarod off guard.

Cale had finally started getting used to the high altitude, but Jarod noticed him having difficulty breathing. They stopped and took a breather after having gone about one mile. "How are you feeling Cale?" "I'm tired," replied Cale out of breath. "Why don't I carry you for a bit, until you feel like walking again," Jarod said. "Okay."

Jarod was walking with Cale in his arms, teaching him about some forest when he felt something hard poke into his back. "Nice to see you again Jarod," Miss Parker said sarcastically. Jarod froze, "Hello Miss Parker, would you mind putting that away. I have some company." Miss Parker was slightly taken aback until she noticed Jarod was carrying a little boy. Miss Parker put away her gun as Jarod was turning around to face her. "Whose kid is that Jarod," asked Parker seriously. "This is Cale, my son."

Miss Parker just looked at Jarod shocked, "Is my hearing bad or did you just say that he is your son?" Parker asked. "I legally adopted him a month ago," Jarod replied very seriously. "Are you insane Jarod!" Cale was started to get scared, "Jarod," Cale said nervously while gripping Jarod tighter. "It's okay Cale, why don't we walk down by the lake so you can explore while I talk to Miss Parker," Jarod said setting Cale down. He nodded and took Jarod's hand as they began walking down the trail to the clearing by the lake.

Miss Parker had no choice but to follow them. Once they reached the lake, Miss Parker noticed that Cale not only had an accent, but also a prominent limp. She looked over and saw Jarod sitting on a nearby log watching Cale examine everything. So she decided to join him.

"You're not taking me from him Parker." "Jarod, what did you expect to happen when we found you? What were you thinking?" replied Parker. "I was thinking about a little boy who was deemed unadoptable and unacceptable to his society because he was born with a birth defect. He's six years old Parker, he deserves the chance to feel loved and accepted," Jarod said softly. "So what's your plan then," asked Miss Parker curiously? "I don't know yet; it's all so new to me, but it feels right," Jarod said before turning back to watch Cale play by the water. "Parker, can't you just pretend you never found me," asked a hopeful Jarod? "You know I can't do that, besides it's only a matter of time before Raines or Lyle figure out where I went."

Jarod noticed and sky had started getting dark clouds rolling in. "It's going to storm soon, I need to get Cale back home before it hits. You can come or go, your choice," he said getting up to get Cale. "Well I'm certainly not leaving you alone until I figure out what to do," replied Parker hastily. "Cale it's time to go home," Jarod said as he went up to Cale. "Is she coming with us," he asked pointing to Parker. "Yes, she is. Her name is Miss Parker," replied Jarod as he picked up Cale and headed back down the trail the way they'd come to get to his jeep.

Cale had fallen asleep in Jarod's arms as they we're walking back. Miss Parker had kept a short distance back observing them. After they had gotten into Jarod's jeep, they headed out of town to Jarod's cabin. Once they reached the cabin, Jarod gave Parker the keys while he carried in a sleeping Cale. The storm had started up and it had started raining heavily with hail beginning to fall, so they hurried in.

Parker was surprised how cozy the cabin was. It had two bedrooms, one bath, and large combined kitchen and living room. "Jeez Jarod, how much stuff did you buy for him," she asked looking around at all the clothes and toys on the couch. Jarod let out a small chuckle, "When you fly from Nairobi, Kenya, you can't really bring much with you. Besides, I wanted him to have some new things that he picked out for once," replied Jarod. Jarod quietly went to Cale's room and laid him down on his bed and left the door slightly ajar so he wouldn't wake him.

When he came out of Cale's room, Jarod looked at Parker and said, "You can take my room if you'd like; I can sleep on the couch. But first I need to put this stuff away and start a fire before this storm gets worse and knocks out the power." Parker didn't object and helped Jarod clean up the clothes and toys. "Somehow I get the feeling both of you will be playing with these toys," replied Parker smiling while holding up a new Dark Knight Bat mobile. "Hey, some of these are really neat; and look at all the things it can do," Jarod said innocently with a boyish grin.

It was now thundering and lightning outside with heavy rain and occasional hail. Parker was putting her bag with a few extra pairs of clothes in Jarod's room while Jarod went to start a fire. She was pleased that she had remembered to grab her bag as soon as they reached Jarod's jeep which was coincidentally parked two cars away from her rental.

As Jarod was getting the fire going, he felt a light tap on his shoulder. Turning around he found Cale standing close to him holding his teddy bear with a scared expression. "What's wrong Cale?" Jarod asked looking at Cale. "I'm scared," whispered the boy. "Hey, it's okay, you're safe in here and you've got me and Miss Parker here to protect you," Jarod said calmly. "Come here," he said as Cale hugged him tight and held him, rubbing his back for a few minutes until he relaxed. Jarod didn't notice Parker watching from the bedroom. She was surprised how good Jarod was with Cale.

Parker looked down at her watch and realized it was almost seven o'clock and none of them had eaten dinner. "Jarod, I can watch Cale if you want to fix a meal, he must be hungry," she said going over to take Cale from Jarod. Jarod nodded, "Cale, why don't you see if Miss Parker wants to play a game with you." They settled on Go Fish and Jarod was happy to see Miss Parker let her guard down and relaxed. As he was making spaghetti and garlic bread, he was thrilled when he heard them laughing as Cale beat Miss Parker.

After a few games went by, dinner was ready. Cale had never had spaghetti before and was looking at Jarod to see how to eat it. Jarod showed Cale twirl the fork in the noodles and Parker laughed as Cale and Jarod slurped up their last noodles while laughing at each other.

Eight-thirty pm rolled around quickly and Cale still needed a bath before bed. "Jarod, you get him cleaned up and I'll take care of the dishes," Parker said kindly. "Thanks," Jarod said wondering why Miss Parker was being so friendly.

Cale loved bubble baths, so Jarod had no trouble getting Cale to bathe. After he was cleaned up, Jarod put him in some pajamas and tucked him in bed. Cale fell asleep quickly while Jarod was reading him a bedtime story. Luckily the storm had died down. "Goodnight Cale," Jarod whispered as he turned out the light and shut the door most the way.

Jarod saw Miss Parker sitting by the fire and joined her. "He loves you," she said quietly while staring at the fire. "What are you going to do?" Jarod asked. "I'll let you know when I decide; but know this Jarod, The Centre will never stop pursuing you." "I know, but they only reason they've been able to track me for so long is because I let them," he replied. Parker looked at him for a moment before getting up. "Goodnight Jarod," she said as she walked to her room and shut the door. "Goodnight Parker," Jarod replied after she was gone.

The night wore on and it was about four in the morning when Jarod felt the couch move. He wasn't surprised to see that it was Cale. Cale hadn't been able to sleep well since they had arrived. He was still not used to sleeping alone. "I can't sleep," Cale said groggily. "Come here," Jarod said patting the sofa seat beside him. Cale happily jumped up and snuggled up with Jarod and he began telling Cale a story. Soon he was asleep and Jarod smiled before dozing off into a dreamless sleep shortly after.

Parker woke up around six in the morning and was going to get a shower when she saw Jarod and Cale asleep on the couch. "Jarod's going to have some back pain when he wakes up," she thought to herself. Parker managed to get a shower without waking them and decided to make some breakfast for them. She had just gathered up some eggs, bacon, and hash when Cale came over. "Can I help," he asked shyly. Miss Parker couldn't help herself, she was beginning to really like Cale, "Sure you can." "How about you put butter on the bread," she said nicely, leaning down to his eye level. "Okay," Cale replied excitedly. "Do you like living with Jarod?" Parker asked Cale. "Uh, huh…Jarod my daddy now and he's soo much fun," Cale said while trying to butter up the bread. Parker smiled to herself. "Jarod always seems to know how to touch the lives of everyone he meets," she thought.

Jarod awoke to the smell of bacon cooking and looked around curiously. "Am I dreaming," he said watching Miss Parker cook. "No, but this is a onetime deal; so don't get used to it," she said lightly. "Jarod, I got to help too!" Cale replied smiling proudly. "That's great," he said. As Jarod got up to stretch, Cale came over and hugged him. Jarod smiled and scooped Cale up to spin him in circles. "Faster, faster!" Cale said while giggling. "Alright boys, it's time to eat." Miss Parker had to work hard to hold back her grin at the sight of them playing. Jarod looked so comfortable with Cale.

Miss Parker settled on coffee since there was no way her ulcer would allow her to have any of the food. So she simply observed Jarod and Cale enjoying their breakfast together before remember to check her phone for any missed calls.

*I hope it's not too bad…chapter 2 is already in progress. Any suggestions, constructive criticism and comments are welcome*


	2. Chapter 2

Welcome To Family Life Chapter 2

By hmwtwin01

Parker noticed a text message that she had missed. As she read it she froze, "Jarod, pack everything you can in ten minutes. And make sure there are no traces of Cale left here. Raines and Lyle somehow tracked me down and they're coming with a team of sweepers," Parker said very quickly and seriously. "Why are you telling me this Parker?" Jarod asked Parker curiously while packing everything he could. "Let's just say that boy deserves to have you in his life and I won't be the one to let Raines or Lyle get Cale to use as ransom against you." They stared at each other for a moment. "Thank you," Jarod replied meaningfully. "And one more thing Jarod, I'm coming with you," Parker replied picking up Cale. "Where are we going," Cale asked Parker. Jarod was about to respond when Parker said, "We're going on a road trip."

As they headed out the door, Parker suddenly remembered she left her rental car in town. "Guess we're taking your car," she said to Jarod. No sooner had they gotten their stuff packed in the jeep did they see dust rising up from the dirt road about a mile down. "Let's go!" Jarod said quickly before speeding off in the other direction.

Suddenly Parker's phone started ringing; "What," she answered. "Oh, thank God Miss Parker, I've been trying to reach you all night. Lyle and a team of sweepers are on their way to get Jarod," Broots said quietly. "Yeah Broots, you're a little late in relaying this information to me." "Sss…sorry Miss Parker, Raines has been watching our every move. And Miss Parker," Broots said hesitantly. "Spit it out Broots," Parker replied annoyed. "Mr. Raines has issued an order for your capture if you don't bring Jarod back this time." Parker was shocked. "Daddy wouldn't let that freak give an order like that." Sydney cut in and said, "Parker, these orders came from the Triumvirate." Parker hung up without saying anything else.

Jarod noticed how pale her face had gotten. "What is it Parker," Jarod asked quietly so Cale wouldn't get upset. Miss Parker looked at Jarod wide eyed, angry, and scared. "The Triumvirate gave Raines the order to capture me if I don't bring you back to the Centre." Jarod just remained silent and turned on a side road that worked as a short cut to get out of town.

Jarod drove his green Jeep Cherokee down the mountain like he knew where every turn he needed was located. Lyle and a team of sweepers pulled up to the cabin to search for clues. "Damn," Lyle said. "Find me something I can use to track them down. I know Parker's helping him. What I don't know is why," Lyle told the sweepers.

After searching the place for half an hour and finding nothing Lyle told them to leave. "Sir?" a sweeper named Jerry asked. "You'd better have something for me," Lyle replied dead serious. "We found this in the far bedroom," Jerry replied holding up a children's book that had fallen under the bed. "What is this supposed to tell me?" Lyle asked irritated. "Let's go," he told the team of sweepers. Lyle had a mouthful for Broots and Sydney when he returned to the Centre.

Jarod had been driving north for a few hours in silence before Cale spoke up. "Jarod, I'm hungry and I need to use the bathroom," Cale said pleadingly. "Alright buddy, help me look for a rest stop," Jarod replied. About fifteen minutes went by before Miss Parker spotted the rest stop sign up ahead. "Take the next exit," Parker said nonchalantly. The rest stop was located between a McDonald's, Subway, and a small diner called Lucky Joe's Diner. Jarod figured it was best to go to the diner and no one objected. "Miss Parker, would you mind getting us a booth while I take Cale to use the restroom?" Jarod asked as they got out of the car. "Why not," Parker replied looking around at the rundown buildings and wide open fields with disgust.

They all walked in and found a booth before Jarod and Cale headed toward the restroom. Once they returned, a waitress came over. "Can I get you guys something to drink?" she asked politely. "Water," said Parker. "And we'll have two glasses of milk," Jarod replied with a small smile. "Coming right up," the waitress said smiling back. Parker settled on the chicken Caesar salad, Jarod got a ranch bacon burger, and Cale got chicken fingers and fries. About an hour later they were walking back to the jeep when Cale reached up and took Parker's hand in his along with Jarod's. Parker stopped and looked at Cale's hand before smiling and continuing to walk to the jeep. Jarod was smiling broadly at the scene that just played out.

They drove until about eight o'clock at night. Cale had fallen asleep hours ago. "Jarod maybe we should find a place to stay for the night," Parker said quietly. Jarod was thinking the same thing and found a Red Roof Inn shortly after. "Would you like your own room?" Jarod asked Parker. "So you can make a run for it; not a chance Jarod," Parker replied in her usual Ice Queen manner. Jarod was hurt by the remark. "You should know me by now Parker, especially after today," Jarod responded angrily before going into the office to get a room. "Room 315," Jarod told Parker when he reached the car.

They parked around the back and were happy to have a floor level room in case they needed to make a quick getaway. Parker picked up Cale, who was still sleeping and Jarod grabbed the luggage they had. The room was small with two small queen size beds, a small bathroom, and a desk with a television on it. "Roomy," Parker said sarcastically while looking around the room. As she put Cale on the far bed, Jarod said, "I'll take the floor." Parker had to admit that Jarod could be so damn innocent at times. Although, that didn't stop her from making him sleep on the floor so she could have the bed to herself.

As the night wore on, everyone fell asleep. Parker awoke to the sound of mumbling sometime in the early am. She flipped on her bedside lamp to see who was mumbling. She wasn't surprised to see that the moaning was coming from Jarod. After a moment she realized Jarod was sweating all over his body, so she decided to wake him up. "Jarod," she said in a hushed voice trying not to wake Cale. "No, I can't do it…" Jarod mumbled while thrashing about on the floor between the two beds. Getting no response, Parker got up and kneeled beside Jarod. She gently shook his shoulders, "Jarod, you're having a bad dream." Jarod sat up quickly and startled. He nearly knocked down Parker in the process. "Jesus Jarod," Parker said angrily. "Sorry Parker."

Parker climbed back into bed while Jarod lied back down, but neither was ready to go back to sleep. So they laid there in the dark until Parker said, "Jarod, you can sleep beside me if it'll help you sleep better." Jarod was surprised at that, but didn't relay that when he spoke. "Thanks, but I'm fine," he replied. "Stop being such a baby," Parker said looking at him. "You always were a critic," Jarod replied with a yawn while slipping in bed beside Parker. "Just remember, if you try anything; I'll shoot you," Parker told Jarod as she scooted over for him. Jarod just grinned, "I'll be sure to say my prayers then."

"Sydney, tell me something I can use to find Jarod," Lyle said annoyed. "I'm sorry Lyle, but I'm not entirely sure what this children's book represents." Lyle continued pacing the floor, "You know Jarod best, what would cause Miss Parker to help him?" Sydney pondered the options for a moment before coming to only one conclusion. "Perhaps Jarod has a child with him," Sydney replied. Lyle stopped pacing, "Why would Jarod have a child with him?" he asked curiously. "With Jarod you never know, but it's the only conclusion I can come up with," Sydney said slightly skeptical as well. "Well, it's a long shot, but it's the only thing we've got. Find out everything you can about Jarod's last pretend. I want to know everywhere he went," Lyle said to Sydney as he walked out of Sydney's office.


	3. Chapter 3

Welcome To Family Life Chapter 3

By hmwtwin01

Cale woke up very hungry around six am. As he got out of bed, he saw Jarod and Miss Parker were still sleeping. Unable to ignore the rumbling coming from his stomach, he quietly walked over and tapped Jarod on his shoulder. "Jarod," whispered Cale. "Hmm…" Jarod mumbled as he slowly opened his eyes and realized Cale was watching him. "Morning buddy," Jarod said quietly while carefully sitting up and stretching. His muscles were stiff from trying to keep still and not give Parker a reason to shove him off the bed or worse; actually shoot him.

"I'm hungry," Cale replied looking at Jarod with his ruffled hair and big bright blue eyes that just melted Jarod's heart. Jarod looked over at the clock and saw it was only six am. "Tell you what, I'll get Parker up and we can go get pancakes. Why don't you watch some cartoons for a few minutes so I can get a shower real quick." "Okay," Cale said climbing back up on his bed as Jarod found the Cartoon Network.

Jarod decided to wake Parker after he got his shower, but Parker was instead awoken by the sound of the television while Jarod was in the shower. She groaned at how early it was and wondered what the noise was. Looking over with squinting eyes, she saw Cale watching cartoons and then noticed the sound of running water. "Good morning Miss Parker," Cale said cheerfully before turning his attention back to the cartoons. Parker smiled at him for a second before lying back down.

Jarod forgot to bring in a clean shirt, so he put on his pants and opened the door to grab a clean shirt. Parker had been waiting a few minutes to take a shower as well and looked over at the bathroom when she heard the door knob turning. Jarod walked out shirtless and froze, surprised to see Parker awake let alone staring at him. Coming back to his thoughts, he fidgeted a little; "uh sorry," Jarod said while finding his bag and putting on a shirt. Parker was stunned. "Damn he looks good," she thought before bringing herself back to reality. Parker quickly pushed the thought out of her mind and put on her Ice Queen Façade. "Took you long enough," she said as she walked past him and quickly shut the door.

Now it was Jarod's turn to be clueless. "What was that all about," he thought to himself before turning his attention to Cale. "Alright Cale, let's get you dressed," Jarod said walking over to the suitcase with Cale's clothes. Jarod pulled out a blue superman tank top, a red and white stripped polo shirt, a pair of blue jeans, and a pair of black shorts. "What do you want to wear," Jarod asked holding up the selection. Cale looked at them for a moment before getting off the bed and taking the blue tank top and black shorts. Jarod let Cale get dressed as he found their shoes.

Parker came out of the bathroom fully dressed in her other set of clothes consisting of a tight white tank top and a pair of snug blue jeans. "Jarod, when we get into the next town, I need to get some clothes." Jarod was still thrown off at seeing Parker dressed so differently that he hardly registered what she was saying. He looked like a deer caught in its tracks. "What," Parker said looking at her clothes. "Uh, nothing," Jarod quickly replied. "Sure, we can make a stop for you," he said before looking away from her. Parker had to resist the urge to grin; that was the reaction she was secretly hoping for. "Are you up for pancakes?" Jarod asked suddenly turning his attention back to her. "I am!" Cale replied excitedly. They both smiled. "Sure," Parker said as they gathered up their belongings and put them in the car before going to the IHOP across the street.

After breakfast, they headed back out on the road having fully satisfied their hunger. Cale was beginning to get restless, so they found a park to stop at for an hour so he could burn off some of his energy. Cale took off toward the jungle gym while Jarod and Miss Parker found a bench to sit at and watch him.

"Parker, about the Triumvirate; you know I'd never let them hurt you right?" Jarod said sincerely looking Parker in the eyes. "I know Jarod, but the fact that I can't go back to my old life kills me inside," Parker responded sadly. Jarod hesitated for a moment unsure of what to do before slowly taking her hand in his. "You can start over with me…with us," Jarod replied with a hint of hope in his voice.

Parker didn't pull away; instead she just looked into Jarod's eyes for long time before saying, "Why is it you are always here for me no matter what?" Jarod just smiled at her, "Because you were my first friend." They both relaxed and laughed lightly. "Yeah, but don't forget; this is still your fault," Parker said jokingly. Jarod looked at her pretending to be hurt and then grinning, "Oh, never mind the unimportant details."

Parker finally decided to trust her feelings instead of pushing them aside like she's done for so long. "Thank you Jarod," Parker said sincerely. "You're welcome." They were interrupted by the sound of someone calling out Jarod's name. They both looked up and saw Cale waving to them happily. They both smiled and Jarod waved back. "I never thought I'd see the day where you would adopt Jarod, but I'm glad you did," Parker said after a moment. "Thanks," Jarod responded happily. They sat there in comfortable silence for a few minutes just watching all the children playing together. And neither pulled their hand back.

Jarod looked at the time, "We need to get going." After calling Cale over, they walked back to the car. "We need to get out of this state," Jarod told Miss Parker and they all got back into the jeep. After talking about which way to go, they settled on South Dakota.

Throughout the drive, Parker had almost fully relaxed and was actually starting to embrace the idea of being on the run with Jarod. Although it was hard giving up her life, she was happy to see the benefits. And having Jarod by her side for whatever might come their way also helped; but she did still have some doubts.

Cale was having a blast pointing out all the new things he saw and ended up falling asleep a few hours later. Parker was lost in thought when she heard Jarod asking her what was on her mind. "What are we going to do about the Centre?" she asked nervously. "We'll come up with a plan to bring them down once and for all," Jarod replied never taking his eyes off the road. "How are we going to do that?" Parker asked. Jarod thought for a moment before looking over at her, "You'll find out when I come up with something good." Parker nodded for a moment and decided to call Mr. Parker. "Jarod, I need to talk to Daddy to find out what's happening," Parker simply said. Although Jarod trusted Miss Parker for the most part, he was still nervous when she wanted to talk to Mr. Parker. "Alright, but use my phone; it's untraceable," Jarod replied. "And Parker, make sure your phone is off until we stop somewhere. I need to make a few adjustments to it so that no one can track us," Jarod said before she made the call. "Although, I can't believe I didn't think about it until now," Jarod said slightly nervous. "Sorry Jarod, I didn't think about it either," Parker replied.

After a few minutes Parker called her father. "Hello," said a gruff sounding voice. "Daddy," Parker said nervously. "Angel, where are you? Are you bringing Jarod back to us?" Parker rolled her eyes before saying, "Daddy, how can you let the Triumvirate issue an order for my capture after everything I done for them," Parker asked angrily. Mr. Parker ignored the tone, "Now Angel, stop worrying; just bring Jarod back and everything will be back to normal," Mr. Parker replied quickly. Parker was getting irritated like she always did when she tried to have a conversation with her father. "Daddy, it's not that simple…" "Sure it is. You were well trained to catch Jarod and bring him home. And that's what we expect you to do," Mr. Parker replied sternly as he cut off Miss Parker. Parker was on the verge of smashing her phone and crying. As she hit the end button, she put her head in her palm and let some tears fall.

Jarod couldn't hear the whole conversation, but he had a pretty good idea of what Mr. Parker would say. His thoughts were confirmed when he saw Miss Parker with her head in her hands and tears dripping down them. Jarod looked in the rear view mirror and saw that Cale was still fast asleep. He quickly pulled over on the side of the highway and put the jeep in park. Parker knew Jarod had seen her crying and she hated herself for letting him see her so weak. "Parker," Jarod said quietly and sincerely. Miss Parker shook her head slowly. "I know what you're going to say Jarod, but he's still my father," Parker replied sniffling and trying to avoid Jarod's gaze.

Jarod slowly reached out his hand and put it under her chin, pulling her head up so he could see her face. "Listen to me Parker," Jarod said leaning in closer to her as he spoke. "Promise me you'll follow your heart and not what your father says." "But Jarod…" "No buts," Jarod said with his hand on her cheek. "You'll never be happy unless you do what you want to do. And I truly am sorry that my being alive and free complicates things for you; but we both deserve to have our lives to live," Jarod said with such sincerity that Parker leaned over and hugged him tightly. "I'll always be here for you Parker," Jarod whispered into her ear. "I know Jarod, I know," Parker replied still embracing Jarod. "I don't blame you," she said softly in his ear.

After a moment, they pulled apart. Even though the tension lessened a good bit, they still felt a little awkward. So Jarod changed the subject. "Now about that clothing store; fancy or casual," Jarod said with his smirk as he pulled back onto the highway. "Both," Parker replied giving Jarod a real smile that reached her eyes.


	4. Chapter 4

Welcome To Family Life Chapter 4

Hmwtwin01

Lyle found Angelo after his talk with Sydney and handed him the book that was left behind. Angelo took it and instantly acted like a child. He held the book out, "One more time, please!" He kept repeating that phrase in a childlike manner until Lyle grabbed the book back. "So there is a child involved," Lyle said smirking.

Sydney and Broots figured out that Jarod had last been in South Africa after doing some research over the internet for Jarod like news. Sydney had informed Mr. Lyle that Jarod had been in South Africa and where the boy probably came from. "Go to that orphanage and find out what Jarod did there," Lyle ordered. Broots was getting a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach, "Sydney, why would Jarod adopt a kid when he's always on the run?" Sydney shrugged, "I'm not quite sure. But knowing Jarod, there must be a good reason."

After driving for a while, Jarod spotted a JC Penny store off the highway and took the next exit. "I know it's not your ideal shopping place but…" "Its fine," Parker said interrupting Jarod. Cale was still asleep so Jarod just carried him inside and much to his surprise, Parker reached for his hand.

Jarod wasn't used to going to these kinds of stores either and stopped when he saw the escalator. Parker spotted what Jarod was gawking at. "It's called and escalator. Don't tell me you've never been on one," Parker said amusedly. Jarod was looking at it with fascination when Parker tugged on his hand, "Come on wonder boy, we're taking the escalator." Parker took the first step on it and Jarod took the next. "This is neat," Jarod said excitedly. Parker just laughed, "At least you're easy to amuse."

After their short but fun ride on the escalator, they found the women's section. Cale had just woken up and was looking around, "Where are we?" he asked curiously. Jarod set him down, "We're at a store called JC Penny. Parker needs some clothes." Parker had a handful of clothes to try on, "Look who's awake," she said to Cale in a sweet voice. Cale just smiled. As Parker went into the dressing room, Jarod took a seat and Cale sat on his lap. A few minutes had gone by with Parker occasionally asking for their opinion. "I like her," Cale said looking up at Jarod. "Me too," she replied smiling.

Parker bought a few shirts and pants, along with one fancy dress; courtesy of the Centre's money. "Alright, before we go; you two need a set a dress clothes," Parker told them. "Why?" Jarod asked. Parker smiled, "Because, tonight we are going to eat at a nice restaurant."

It didn't take long for Jarod to find a snug fitting white silk dress shirt and a pair of black slacks. Parker had to admit, he sure did clean up nicely. "Do you approve?" he asked Parker as he came out of the dressing room. "Absolutely," Parker said grinning. As Jarod went to change, Parker looked at Cale, "Now it's your turn."

They made their way over to the kids department. Parker pulled out a red dress shirt and some black slacks. "Why don't you try these on," she said showing Cale. He shrugged as Jarod took the clothes and led Cale into the dressing room. The sizes were spot on and Jarod knew Parker would be pleased. "What do you think?" Jarod asked Cale. Cale wasn't normally picky, but he liked his regular clothes better. "Why do we have to dress up?" Cale asked Jarod. "Because some places have a dress code." Jarod replied as he opened the dressing room door. "Let's see what Parker thinks." Parker looked up when she saw them coming out, "Very cute," she said with a big grin.

While they were in the dressing room, Parker asked around to see if anyone knew any fancy restaurants close by. A woman gave Parker the name of a small Italian restaurant called Papa's Italiano that was across the street.

After everything was paid for, they made their way back to the car. Quickly finding a hotel for the night, they got dressed up for dinner. Parker had already made reservations for them. Once there, they looked at the menu. "Wow, this is a nice little place," Jarod said looking around.

The waiter came over a few minutes later, "Good evening, what can I get for you all to drink?" Parker really wanted a scotch, but lately she's gotten used to not having much alcohol. "I'll take water," she simply said. "Make that two waters and a glass of milk please," Jarod added quickly. "Right away," the waiter replied. After they received their drinks and looked at the menu; Parker ordered a roasted duck in a spiced lemon sauce, Jarod ordered the house special lasagna, and Cale got spaghetti and meatballs.

Who's up for dessert," Jarod chimed in after they finished eating. "You're kidding; you have room for dessert after that big meal?" Parker asked in disbelief. "Always," Jarod said smiling. "Can I have ice cream?" Cale asked quickly. "Sure buddy," Jarod replied.

Parker ordered a slice of white chocolate raspberry cheesecake; Jarod ordered apple crisp with vanilla ice cream and caramel drizzle; and Cale got a Hot Fudge Sunday with extra sprinkles and whipped cream.

They left the restaurant very satisfied and very stuffed. The day still had a little light left in it, so they settled for a short walk before driving back to the hotel. Jarod was giving Cale a piggy back ride and showing him some constellations when he asked, "Can I call you daddy Jarod?" Jarod and Parker stopped walking and he shifted Cale in front of him. "Yes Cale, you can call me daddy," Jarod said happily while hugging Cale. "Does that mean Miss Parker is my new mommy?" he asked after a minute. Jarod and Parker looked at each other with unsure expressions, so Parker decided to answer. Jarod set Cale down as Parker squatted in front of him to be eye level. "Cale, I'm not sure if I can be your mommy, but I'll be your friend and always be here for you; because I love you." Parker answered with sincere emotion. Parker opened her arms wide and Cale leaned in for a big hug as she let a few tears slip down her cheek.

Sydney and Broots arrived in Cape Town, South Africa via The Centre's private jet. Kendra was walking out in the yard checking on the kids and looking at the latest progress of construction, when she spotted two men walking towards her. "Can I help you?" she asked kindly. "Hello, I'm Sydney and this is Broots. We would like to ask you about Jarod," Sydney responded after shaking her hand. "What would you like to know?" she replied.

Sydney cut to the chase, "Why was Jarod here and did he have a child with him?" Kendra was a pretty trusting woman, but she was a little hesitant to answer him. "Is Jarod in some kind of trouble?" Sydney sensed she was nervous, "No, but we've been looking for him for a few years. I raised Jarod at a place called The Centre. He has a remarkable gift that can help change the world," he answered after a moment. "I see. Jarod helped our orphaned children who had nowhere to go by stopping the men who took and abused them. And he even gave us the funds to enlarge our facilities to accommodate enough room for about one hundred more children," Kendra said looking at Sydney. "And while he was here, Jarod fell in love with a young child named Cale who had very little chance of being adopted here because of a birth defect. So he did what he felt was best, he adopted him." Sydney was curious, "What kind of birth defect?" "His left leg is longer than his right, giving him a prominent limp," Kendra replied.

Sydney and Broots looked at each other, surprised at hearing that last bit of information. "Do you have a picture of the boy?" Sydney asked quickly. Kendra started walking toward her office and they followed, "I should, let me check the files." After a few minutes of looking through the files, she found Cale's folder. "Ahh, here we are," she said handing Sydney the photo. "He's six years old," she added. "Did Jarod leave any contact information?" Sydney asked. "No, just a phone number," Kendra replied. Sydney and Broots stood up, "Thank you for your time. May we keep this photo?" Sydney asked. "Yes, I have another one in his file," she replied.

As they were walking back to the jet, Broots spoke up. "If Lyle or Raines find the boy, they'll use him as bait to get Jarod back. Sydney I don't want that boy to get hurt, it's not right," Broots said quietly. "I agree," Sydney replied. "Perhaps I can try reaching Jarod or Parker and warm them.


	5. Chapter 5

Welcome To Family Life Chapter 5

Parker was surprised how easy the words came out; but she meant every word. They all walked hand in hand back to the car and drove to their hotel. After everyone was cleaned up, they settled down on one of the beds to watch a movie together.

It was getting late and Cale fell asleep about halfway through the movie. Jarod knew Parker was still awake and kept glancing over at her every few minutes for the last half hour. Miss Parker couldn't take it anymore, "What is it Jarod?" Caught off guard, he shifted up a bit and looked her in the eyes, "Thank you for being so nice to him." Parker looked at Jarod's face saw that sparkle in his eyes that she loved so much. "Yeah well, you must be rubbing off on me," she replied teasingly. As Parker looked back up at Jarod, he leaned in over Cale's body and gave Parker a slow, tender kiss. Parker didn't pull away, but instead deepened the kiss.

They were so lost in the kiss that they forgot Cale was between them. As Cale shifted onto his side, Parker and Jarod pulled apart blushing. Since Cale was sound asleep, Jarod slowly slipped out of the bed and laid down on the other one. "Care to join me Parker?" he asked in his mischievous voice. Parker laughed quietly at him as she joined him. The lights went off and they snuggled up together before falling in a comfortable sleep.

One of the waitresses, an older woman, dialed the number right after Jarod, Parker, and Cale left the restaurant. "Sir, I've just seen the people you're looking for." Raines was on the other end. "Was there anyone with them?" he asked impatiently. "They had a small boy with them," she replied. She quickly gave him the address of the hotel they were staying at and went back to work.

Broots overheard Lyle and Raines on his way to Sydney's office. Sydney was doing some paperwork when Broots walked quickly into his office. "Oh man Sydney, you're not going to believe what I just overheard." "Calm down Broots," Sydney said as he slowly stood up to hear what Broots had to say. "Sorry Sydney, it's just…I was walking down the hall on my way to your office when I saw Mr. Raines and Lyle talking in the shadows and I heard them mention Jarod and Miss Parker's names." "Did they find them?" Sydney interrupted curiously. "Yes, they're sending a team to bring them in by any means necessary," Broots replied nervously. "I need to try and reach Jarod," Sydney said as he tried dialing Jarod's cell phone.

Jarod's phone started ringing and woke him up. Looking at the caller ID, Jarod saw it was Sydney. "What is it Sydney?" Jarod asked with a yawn. "Jarod, you need to get away from where ever you're staying. Someone tipped off Raines and Lyle about your location," Sydney replied quickly and seriously as he looked around to make sure he wasn't being watched. "You're sure?" Jarod asked quickly. "Yes, don't let them catch you, Parker, or Cale," Sydney replied before adding, "They know about the boy and will use him to get you back while Parker will be sent to the Renewal Wing." "Like hell, but thanks Sydney," Jarod said before hanging up.

Jarod quickly shook Parker. "Parker, wake up. A sweeper team is coming for us." Parker sat up quickly, "How did they…" "Someone tipped them off," Jarod cut in quickly while getting dressed. "They know about Cale and I won't let them take him." Jarod briefly woke Cale to get him dressed and told him he could sleep in the car. Very shortly after, they checked out and hit the road.

They had been driving for a couple of hours when they noticed a car that was coming up fast. "Jarod, what are you thinking?" Parker asked nervously as she kept her gaze on the speeding car. "Hang on and grab Cale. Hold him tight," Jarod replied quickly as he watched the approaching vehicle in the rear view mirror. With a little effort, Parker got Cale awake and told him to climb up front quickly. He did as he was told. Parker held him tight and said calmly, "Whatever happens in a minute Cale, I want you to know I won't let go. But I need you to say low and quiet okay." Cale was getting scared and nodded his head. Jarod looked over at Cale and Parker quickly. "It will be okay. Parker get ready."

Jarod thought the SUV was going to ram him but instead, it floured it beside them and started shooting at them. "Shit, stay down!" Jarod yelled as the bullets hit the side of the jeep. Cale was crying and hugging Parker tight. Jarod saw his opportunity to ram the SUV and did it as hard as he could manage. Jarod didn't know if it was pure luck or a miracle, but the SUV hit a huge pot hole and flipped as it spun off the road.

Afraid to stop, Jarod kept going. "Is everyone alright?" he asked after a minute. Parker checked over herself and Cale, "Yes, we're fine. Are you?" Jarod felt his chest and looked for blood quickly. "I think so."

"I'm sorry you had to go through that Cale," Jarod said to Cale sadly. Cale was crying and shaking. Parker hugged him tighter and whispered, "its okay Cale." He just hugged her tighter, afraid to let go. After a while of crying, he finally fell asleep while Parker was running her hands through his hair to soothe him.

"Jarod that was way too close. Why would they start shooting if they know we have a child?" Parker asked quietly. "I'm not sure. It's like they don't care anymore if they get us back dead or alive," he replied nervously.

The SUV was totaled, but only two of the four sweepers were injured badly. Willie was able to free himself and climb out of the vehicle with only minor cuts. Opening up his phone, he made a call. "Sir, we lost them." Raines and Lyle had his call on speaker phone in his office. "What do mean you lost them?" Raines said angrily with his wheezing voice. "We shot their vehicle good but Jarod rammed us and caused us to flip," Willie replied slightly nervous. "You idiot, get on the helicopter coming your way and get them. Dead or alive, I want them brought back to the Centre," Raines snapped back. "Yes sir."

Mr. Parker had just walked in on their conversation. "I want Angel brought back alive and well. She'll be sent to Renewal Wing if necessary, but I want her unharmed," Mr. Parker demanded to Raines. Lyle kept quiet while Raines looked up at Mr. Parker, "She made her choice and now she can face the consequences." Mr. Parker was insulted, but he left holding his tongue.

Jarod found the nearest car rental place and rented a new 2009 Silver Toyota Corolla. "Hopefully this will throw them off of our trail for a while." Cale had not let go of Parker since the shooting, so she carried him into the lot, following Jarod to get the rental. Parker was grateful that Cale was small and light for his age. Putting their belongings in the trunk, they set off. Luckily, this rental shop offered to tow Jarod's jeep to the junk yard for a very small fee.

They had been driving non-stop for hours and Jarod needed to stretch his legs for a minute. They grabbed lunch from the drive through at Chick-Fil-A and went to the park across the street to eat it. They sat together at an empty table and ate. "Cale, do you want to play on the slide or swings before we leave?" Jarod asked. Cale quickly shook his head no. Jarod and Parker could tell that Cale was scared. "Cale, you've got me and Parker here to protect you," Jarod said to Cale softly. "But I'm scared," Cale replied with a whimpering voice. "You've got nothing to worry about okay," Jarod said before he scooped up Cale and started to tickle him. Cale couldn't hold back his laughter any longer. Parker and Jarod were laughing as Cale squirmed while getting tickled. Then Jarod put him up on his shoulders as they made their way back to the car.

They had stuck to main highways, trying to blend in. Sometime after, they reached an empty back road. They hadn't noticed the helicopter that had been staying high above them until it was too late. Willie saw his chance. "Move in now!" he said through an ear piece to a ground crew that stayed a good distance behind Jarod. "Bring us down in front of that car," Willie quickly told the pilot.

Cale spotted the helicopter coming closer. "Look!" Cale said pointing to it. Jarod and Parker saw the helicopter trying to land in front of them. "Shit," both of them replied simultaneously. Cale was already climbing up front to sit with Parker. "Is it happening again?" Cale asked Parker. "Yes sweetie."

Jarod tried to turn the car around to outrun them, but saw it was no use when he saw the car coming toward them. "Parker, I don't know what to do," Jarod said nervously. "We'll find a way to get out of the Centre again," she replied. They had no choice but to get out of the car when the sweepers had their guns pointed at them. Jarod stood in front of Parker and Cale, ready to take whatever came their way. And without warning, a sweeper shot Jarod with a dart in the neck. "Daddy!" Cale screamed, as Jarod fell to the ground. Parker was stunned, but kept quiet and held Cale tightly.


	6. Chapter 6

Welcome To Family Life Chapter 6

Hmwtwin01

Sam stepped out of the car with his gun pointing at Miss Parker. Since Parker had left the Centre, Sam had become Lyle's personal sweeper. "Get in the car Miss Parker," Sam said coolly. Willie and another sweeper were carrying Jarod's body to the helicopter. "What are you doing with Jarod?!" Miss Parker demanded. "That's none of your concern, now get in the car!" Sam replied hastily.

She climbed in while keeping Cale close to her. He was trying hard not to cry anymore and buried his face in Miss Parker's chest. She tried to reassure him that it would be okay, but she honestly had no idea what was going to happen. No matter what happens though, she vowed to do everything in her power to protect Cale and take down the place that taught her to hate and kill.

Jarod's hands were tied up and sweepers sat on both sides of him. Willie called Raines, "Sir, we've got them." Raines was pleased, "Good, now get them here quickly."

Sam wasn't used to seeing Parker so protective, but he could tell that she had changed. He felt bad having to get a child involved in this mess, but he had to follow Lyle's orders.

The SUV and the helicopter stopped in front of the Centre's jet. Parker and Cale boarded it first. As they sat down, one the sweepers tried to pull Cale away from Parker. She quickly snapped, "Touch him and I'll kill you myself." The sweeper looked over at Sam to get the okay to let them stay together. He backed off and left them alone.

Jarod was also put on the jet. And just in case he woke up early, they hand cuffed him to the seat. Cale was watching in horror and got fidgety. "Jarod…" he started to say when Miss Parker held him back. "Cale, Jarod will be alright. But for now you need to sit with me and stay quiet okay?" Parker said calmly and quietly. Nodding, he sat back down beside Parker.

They arrived at the Centre a few hours later and Jarod had yet to regain consciousness. Lyle, Raines, and Mr. Parker were waiting outside for the jet to land. Lyle smirked, knowing he would get credit for catching them. Jarod was carried off the jet and brought to a separate holding cell. Parker walked off shortly after with Cale close to her side.

"Angel, welcome home," Mr. Parker said as he waited for her to answer him. Parker didn't say anything and instead just kept walking. They were placed in a holding cell for the time being.

Sydney and Broots hear d the news of Jarod and Parker's capture, but they had to see if for themselves. Going to Mr. Parker, Sydney asked to see them. "Not now, Raines is going to be dealing with them first," Mr. Parker shot back annoyed. Nodding, Sydney walked out of the office. Once they were in the hallway Sydney said, "Broots, I need you to find where they are keeping Jarod and Miss Parker." Broots expected him to say that, "Do you realize what you're asking me to do?" Stopping, Sydney looked him in the eyes, "Broots, I need to make sure they are okay." Broots nodded with his typical worried expression, "Alright, I'll see what I can find."

Jarod woke up with a nasty headache and remembered what happened. Looking around, he saw he was in a bare cell with nothing but a bare cot. Then he spotted someone in the shadows. "I won't do anymore Sims!" he yelled out. Raines and Lyle stepped out into the light. Lyle laughed, "Oh, I think you will if you want Cale to remain unharmed." "Don't you touch him!" Jarod shot back angrily. "Tell me Jarod, why bother toting a kid around with you when you know we would catch you?" Lyle replied. Raines spoke up, "You may have gotten Miss Parker on your side, but she will soon forget and once follow orders." "We will let you that over for a while," Lyle said as him and Raines left.

Miss Parker and Cale were placed in a cell located in the Renewal Wing. She was trying to keep her cool while also doing her best to keep Cale calm. She noticed Raines accompanied by two sweepers heading towards her. "Miss Parker, I'm very disappointed with your actions. But soon enough, we'll make sure you forget these past few weeks and start following orders," Raines wheezed out slowly. As Mr. Raines turned to leave, he looked at Willie. "Grab the boy." Willie nodded and unlocked the cell to get Cale. "No!" Parker shouted trying to stop him, but Willie pulled Cale from her grasp easily as he knocked her down. "No! Miss Parker!" Cale screamed with tears as he struggled to get free.

Shutting the cell door, they left and headed toward SL-27. "Place him in the observation room," Raines told Willie as he left. Willie shoved Cale in the room and locked the door. The room hadn't been used for a while and was covered in cobwebs and dust. Cale was scared and sat in a corner curled up silently crying.

Broots had been searching though all of the footage trying to find Jarod when he stumbled across the footage of Cale. "This can't be good," Broots said as he quickly copied the footage and headed straight to Sydney's office. Sydney was pacing his office waiting to hear any news when Broots walked in. "Sydney, I haven't found Jarod or Miss Parker yet, but I did find the boy." Broots placed the disc in the computer and he and Sydney watch the tape of Cale being thrown into the old observation room in SL-27. "Nice work Broots, continue trying to find where they placed Jarod and Miss Parker," Sydney said as he headed out the door. "Sydney, where are you going?" Broots asked quickly as he caught up with him. "I need to talk to the boy. Warn me if anyone is coming. I will only need a few minutes," Sydney replied.

He reached SL-27 and found the room unguarded. The door still had the old key pad, so Sydney tried the old cold. It worked and the door opened.

Cale heard the door opening and jumped up frightened. Sydney walked in and looked around spotting the boy. "Don't be scared Cale, I'm a friend of Jarod's." Cale wiped at his tears, "Where's my daddy?" he asked nervously. "I'm trying to find him for you okay. If anyone else comes in, just do what they tell you and everything should be fine," Sydney said to him calmly. Cale nodded his head in understanding. Sydney turned and left quickly before any sweepers returned.

Sydney had seen a lot of things in the Centre since he's been here, but he could quickly tell that Cale wasn't gifted like Jarod. It worried him to think about Raines' intentions and what he would do to keep Jarod cooperative.

Jarod was in his cell pacing, trying to find a way out. As he looked at the vents, he saw Angelo. "Angelo," Jarod whispered excitedly. "Miss Parker and boy okay, but must hurry," Angelo replied as he pulled out a key and unlocked the cell. "Thanks," Jarod said. Angelo grinned, "Come quickly."

They made their way to one of the vents without being noticed and slipped in. "Angelo, can you take me to Cale?" Jarod asked as they moved in the vents. "Come, come," Angelo replied quickly.

Raines and Mr. Parker were talking about their options. "Miss Parker needs to be reminded of her duties and loyalties to the Centre," Raines said agitated. "And Jarod will learn to obey when the boy's life is at stake." Mr. Parker cut in, "And just what do you plan to do with the boy?" Looking up with an evil grin, Raines replied; "I've been waiting for the opportunity to test a new smart drug."

Lyle walked over to them, "Sorry to interrupt, but shall we go see if Jarod is willing to work?" They nodded before making their way to Jarod's cell. Lyle walked in first, "What! How the hell did he escape this cell?" Raines and Mr. Parker quickly walked out and sent all the sweepers to search for Jarod.

As Jarod and Angelo were crawling through the vents, they heard the alarm go off. "They must know I'm gone," Jarod whispered. "Here," Angelo said as he pulled off the vent. Cale heard the noise and looked up. He heard voices, but couldn't see anyone. Watching from the other side of the room, Cale saw Jarod drop down. "Daddy!" Cale said running into Jarod's arms. "Come on buddy, we're going to get you out of here," Jarod replied as he whole heartedly embraced Cale in a hug. A minute later Jarod lifted him up into the vent and will a little help from Angelo, climbed back up into the vent. As they began moving again; Jarod said, "Angelo, I have to get Parker before we go."

Lyle had a feeling that Jarod would come back to get Miss Parker and when did, he would get Jarod. "Lyle, you bastard!" Parker shouted as he strapped her to a table. "Now that's no way to talk to your brother. Besides, if you hadn't run off with Jarod in the first place; you wouldn't be in this situation," Lyle replied smirking. He enjoyed getting to torment her. Miss Parker pulled against the restraints, "Go to hell!" she shot back. "Already there sister."

Broots and Sydney were talking about how Jarod may have escaped when Raines came in. "Mr. Broots, I want to see that security footage of Jarod escaping." "Ye…yes sir. It will take a little time to find it…" Broots was saying when Raines cut in, "Just get it!"

As Raines made his way down the corridor towards his office, Willie came up, "Sir, the boy is missing." Raines was pissed off that Jarod escaped once again, but to hear that the boy was also gone infuriated him. How was it, they could both go missing in one day. "Find them!" Raines wheezed out. "Send every team we have and search every level and every room."

Jarod recognized this part of the ventilation system; he realized that Parker must be in the renewal wing. "Hang on Parker," he said quietly to himself. As they stopped, Jarod looked at Angelo, "Can you keep Cale safe until I return?" Angelo nodded. "Okay, take Cale to the exit I used when I first escaped, I'll meet you there with Parker." Cale didn't want to be separated from Jarod again, "No, don't leave me," Cale sobbed. Jarod hugged Cale tight, "I'll be back, I promise. But I need to get Miss Parker out of here too before we go. Angelo will keep you safe." He let go and waited for Angelo and Cale to round the corner before he popped off the vent.

Luckily there weren't any sweepers blocking the Renewal Wing entrance. Jarod quickly slipped in and made his way down the hall searching for Miss Parker. Suddenly, two sweepers came running at Jarod. He dodged the first sweeper's punch and rammed him to the ground. The other one grabbed Jarod and pulled him off the sweeper. Jarod didn't see the first blow to his stomach as he bent over in pain. He fought his way free from the sweepers and kicked one of them in the knee as hard as he could. The sweeper went down grabbing his knee. The other sweeper lunged at Jarod, but he saw it coming and moved just in time. He punched him hard in the gut and then in the side of the face, knocking him out.

Jarod ran to find Miss Parker and when he opened the door, he stopped. "Lyle," he sneered. "Well well well…I knew it was just a matter of time," Lyle replied as he switched on a machine that was hooked up to Parker.

Jarod started walking towards Lyle, "I wouldn't do that, or Miss Parker here will get one hell of a shock." Parker continued squirming, "Jarod, get out of here!" He took a chance and lunged forward when Lyle looked at Parker. Lyle hit the switch before Jarod reached him. She screamed from the pain. "Stop it!" Jarod yelled at Lyle. "Only when you behave." Jarod couldn't take it any longer and without warning, he rammed Lyle into the machine. Lyle's head hit the corner of the machine and knocked him unconscious. Finding the power switch, Jarod shut off the machine and ran to Parker.

Freeing her from the restraints, he saw her nose was bleeding and she was disoriented. "Jarod…you have to go…" she mumbled. "No, not without you," he replied as he pulled off the table and carried her.

The sweepers he fought with earlier where nowhere in sight. He figured they went to get back up. Just as he got himself and Parker in the ventilation, he saw a group of sweepers running toward the Renewal Wing with their guns drawn.

Parker was able to move slowly on her own now, but Jarod still kept his arm around her for support. "We're almost there Parker," Jarod whispered.

The sweepers found Lyle waking up with a nasty gash on the back of his head. As he noticed the sweepers staring at him; he said, "Find them now! Check the vents!" They took off running.

Broots and Sydney heard the commotion and looked up just in time to see Raines coming in. "Where are they Sydney? You must know how Jarod escaped the first time!" Raines asked accusingly. "I'm afraid I don't have any idea how Jarod escaped the first time or this time. We've checked the security footage and haven't been able to spot any of them anywhere." Raines looked back over at Broots, "Find them." Then he turned and left. Sydney decided enough was enough and he wasn't going to stop Jarod from finding happiness and longer.

As Raines was walking back to his office, he passed Mr. Parker and said, "Miss Parker is on the run with Jarod. Therefore, while we want Jarod alive; Miss Parker and the boy will be taken dead or alive." Mr. Parker understood; he was very disappointed with her actions and had hoped she would come around.

Jarod and Parker were quickly making their way toward the escape. They heard something and saw smoke filling the vents fast. "We have to hurry," Jarod said quickly. "They're using gas to get us out." They rounded the final turn and saw Angelo sitting with Cale. "Daddy! Miss Parker!" Cale said excitedly. Angelo smiled at them all, "Must go now. Be safe." Jarod hugged Angelo, "Thank you." Angelo then took off in another direction away from the gas.

They slipped outside right before the gas could give away their exit and took cover in the bushes. Sweepers were everywhere, but Jarod knew all the spots they never checked. Cale hugged Parker when he got the chance and then stayed close to Jarod.

They all slowly made their way from the Centre to the road while no one was looking. As they reached the road, a car pulled over casually with their lights off. Everyone froze as the door opened. Jarod was surprised to see Sydney step out of the vehicle. "Jarod, I know you're here. Please come with me. We can find a way for you to be free," Sydney pleaded quietly. Jarod stepped out of the shadows slightly, "Why now?" "Because I was and heard what they were willing to do to have you cooperate and run Sims. I won't be a part of it anymore," Sydney replied truthfully. "Jarod please, we must hurry." Jarod didn't know how Sydney knew they would be here but believed he wanted to help. And not having any other options at the moment, he knew a car was their only way to get off the ground quickly. Nodding, he picked up Cale and grabbed Parker's hand.

They all climbed in and Sydney drove off quickly. "We can go to my private cabin for now. No one will look for us there," Sydney said looking in the rear view mirror to see if anyone was following them. They drove for hours before getting close to their destination. Parker and Cale had dozed off leaning into Jarod, but he was too nervous to sleep. So he just watched out the window trying to figure out a plan.


	7. Chapter 7

Welcome To Family Life Ch7

Hmwtwin01

They arrived sometime after to Sydney's private cabin. Jarod woke up Miss Parker and carried Cale inside. Parker leaned into Jarod as they walked over to the couch. "Parker, are you feeling okay?" Jarod asked as he felt her forehead. "I feel a little funny." She replied very tiredly. "You're burning up. Lie down." Jarod set Cale in the chair and turned to Sydney. "Do you have any Tylenol here?" Nodding, Sydney went to get some Tylenol and a glass of water. He gave them to Miss Parker who happily accepted them. She fell asleep rather quickly. "Jarod, do you know what happened to her?" Sydney asked with concern in his voice. Jarod looked at Parker sadly, "Lyle shocked her with a very high voltage." Nodding, Sydney added; "Is that why you're face is bruised and bloody?" Jarod nodded before checking on Cale.

"I appreciate your help Sydney, but it won't be long before Lyle or Raines figures out that you helped us. I don't want to put your life in danger…" Sydney cut Jarod off in mid sentence, "I've let the Centre get away with far too many unthinkable things. It's time I take a stand."

Sydney showed Jarod the spare bedroom that he could use. As carefully as he could, Jarod brought Cale in there and set him on the bed before covering him up.

They said goodnight and while Sydney went to his room; Jarod stayed in the living room by Parker's side. He dozed off for a few hours before waking up. Feeling Parker's forehead, he noticed her fever was down. She opened her eyes at his touch and looked up at him. "Hey," she said. "How are you feeling?" Jarod asked smiling. "Ugh…like I've been hit by a bus," she replied. "Thanks for getting me out of there," she added quietly. Kneeling down beside Parker, he whispered; "I just couldn't leave you…because Cale and I need you. And because I love you."

Parker took his hand and kissed it. "I love you too jarod," she replied with a warm smile as she looked him in the eyes. Just then, they heard a scream. Parker and Jarod leapt up and ran to Cale's room with Sydney following right behind them.

Cale was sitting up in the bed, shaking under the blanket with frightened wide eyes. "What is it buddy?" Jarod asked calmly as he went to sit on the bed. Cale jumped up and hugged Jarod with all his might and cried. Jarod sat there for a moment rubbing Cale's back trying to sooth him. After a moment he said through tears, "I thought you left me." Jarod hugged Cale back, "I could never do that. You're my son and I love you." Parker walked over beside Jarod and spoke to Cale. Kneeling down beside Cale she said, "Cale, we will never leave you and we'll always be around. You're like a son to me and I will always be there for you."

Sydney stood silently by the door and watched in awe as Jarod and Parker calmed down Cale before giving them some privacy.

Cale shook his head and wiped his tears after Parker spoke. "I'm scared those bad guys will come back," Cale responded. Parker sat down on beside Jarod and Cale. "Come here sweetheart. You've been through a lot with us and I know you're afraid right now that we'll leave you; but you have to be brave. Everything will be alright. Jarod and I will make sure nothing happens to you." Cale gave Parker a hug and whispered, "I love you mommy." Parker and Jarod glanced at each other for a moment, but both let it slide. Fact was; she was like a mother to Cale. She sat there rubbing his back until he fell asleep again and laid him back down.

They left the door open and went back to the living room. Sydney came out of his room, "Did you get him back to sleep?" "Yes, he's afraid the Centre is going to take him or us again," Jarod replied. Looking at the two of them; Sydney said, "I'll do everything I can to make sure that nothing happens to any of you."

Jarod was getting cleaned up when Parker saw his bruises. "Jesus Jarod," she said quietly without thinking. Turning to face he shrugged and said, "I'll live. I've had worse." Clenching her fists; she said, "I'm going to kill Lyle." Jarod smiled at her remark, "You and me both." Shortly after Jarod was cleaned up, they sat on the couch and talked for a while before falling asleep. Parker had her head on his shoulder, while Jarod had his head leaning against the back of the couch.

Back at the Centre, everyone was on full alert. Mr. Parker was getting called by the Triumvirate while Mr. Raines and Lyle were ordering all personnel that had contact with Jarod, Miss Parker, or the boy to be questioned. Lyle saw Broots pacing nervously in the hall. "Where the hell is Sydney?" Lyle demanded. "I…I uh…don't know," Broots finally got out. "Dammit!" Lyle said angrily as he walked off rubbing his hand over his hair. As he was walking away, he turned and shouted, "Don't go anywhere Broots."

"Yes sir, we think he escaped through the ventilation…Yes sir, I understand." Mr. Parker hung up the phone and sighed. "Well?" Raines wheezed out impatiently. "The Triumvirate wants Jarod and Miss Parker alive. Once we catch them, they are going to be shipped to Africa while the boy is disposed of." After a moment, Raines said, "Lyle believes Sydney helped them escape." Looking up quickly, Mr. Parker replied, "Do what you must to find them quickly." Grinning, Raines walked out the Mr. Parker's office pulling his squeaky oxygen tank with him.

Willie walked into Raines' office with Sam. "Sir, we've got all the vents secured or locked down." Raines thought for a moment, "Good, now bring Mr. Broots to me." They left to find Broots.

Morning came and Jarod woke up to Cale's light nudge. "Hey Cale." "I'm hungry," Cale replied. Jarod got up carefully without waking Parker and headed to the kitchen with Cale right on his heels. He found the pans and set about making scrambled eggs and sausage patties.

Parker and Sydney woke up the smell of sausage. "Good morning," Jarod said when saw both of them walking into the kitchen. "You're up early," Sydney responded as he made himself a cup of coffee. "Cale was hungry. Hope I didn't wake you." Jarod gave Cale a plate of food and started cooking more of everything. "That's quite alright," Sydney replied cheerfully. "I will happily take a plate of eggs and sausage." Parker ruffled Cale's hair as she walked by him over to Jarod. "Thanks for making breakfast," she said quietly as she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "Anytime." Sydney chuckled when he saw Jarod blushing. "What?" Jarod said to Sydney. "Nothing, I'm just glad the two of your followed your hearts." This time Jarod and Parker blushed.

When everyone started to eat; Jarod said, "I've been thinking about what we need to take down the Centre…" "And?" Sydney said. Sighing, Jarod said, "We'll need some help. I know a few people who owe me favors and we should see if we can get Broots' help." Parker and Sydney agreed. "How long do you think it will take to get this organized?" Parker asked Jarod. "I would say about a week; maybe a little more." Thinking it over for a moment, Sydney replied, "You should be alright here until then. I don't think the Centre will be able to find this place that soon."

Sydney spent some time talking to Cale, showing him new things. Cale was curious about everything and loved hearing stories. Jarod was pleased to see Cale becoming comfortable around Sydney. While they were outside, Parker asked Jarod what they were going to do with Cale when the time came. "I'm not quite sure yet. He's getting comfortable with Sydney; but I don't know what part Sydney will play yet." "You'll figure it out. You always do," Parker responded with a wink as she handed him a cup of coffee and sat beside him.

Jarod had been making calls to people who owed him favors. He even called up an old friend who was able to get him some hand guns and couple of rifles. Sydney wasn't able to reach Broots. "Jarod, I haven't been able to reach Broots on his cell phone." Looking up he said, "If they think he helped us, they will most likely question him and put him under surveillance."

Lyle found Sam in the hall by his office. "Sam, search every address that we have on record for Sydney immediately. And notify me if you have all the addresses." "Yes sir," Sam responded as he left.

Raines walked into Lyle's office, "We have a problem." Not even looking up; Lyle responded, "I know. We're searching all the properties we can find under Sydney's name." Nodding at the information, Mr. Raines added; "The Triumvirate wants results soon." Keeping a serious face, Lyle said, "Oh, I'll find them. You can be sure of that."

Broots was sitting nervously in an interrogation room when Mr. Raines and Lyle walked in. Lyle was the first to start talking. "We'll just cut to the chase Broots. I want to know where Sydney is." Steeling quick glances at Mr. Raines and Lyle, Broots stuttered out, "I uh…Like I said before…I don't know. One minute he was beside me and the next he was gone."

Lyle hadn't been able to get anything important out of Broots after a few hours so they let him go. Just to be cautious; Lyle assigned two sweepers to keep an eye on all of Broots' activities and phone calls.

Sydney had an old rope lying around and Jarod offered to help him make a rope swing for Cale to play on. They property have a nice large Oak Tree that would be perfect for it. After about an hour, they had managed to get the limb cleared and tried down so that it was suitable to swing on.

"Alright Jarod, give it a try." Sydney said as he handed Jarod the rope to test out. Parker and Cale were standing near the tree. She saw how excited Cale was getting and couldn't miss Jarod's big grin. Jarod tied a knot high enough for him to sit on in the rope and ran in a circle a few times before jumping on. "Hey this is fun!" Jarod shouted as he spun in a circle. "I want to try!" Cale said jumping with excitement.

Jarod hopped off the rope and called Cale over. "Okay, make sure you sit on the knot with your legs out straight and hold on tight." Nodding, Cale did just as he was told. He was smiling broadly up at Jarod. "Ready?" Jarod asked. "Uh huh." Jarod pulled the rope backwards and got some momentum going by gently rocking Cale side to side before swinging him to the left.

Cale went spinning in a big circle and laughed the whole time until the rope stopped moving. "Again!" he shouted happily. Jarod continued to swing him for a while. Everyone was having a good time and laughing.

"You're up next Parker," Jarod said smirking. She looked at him surprised. "I think I'll pass." Laughing, he said, "Come on, give it a try; at least once." She looked at him with a skeptical face. "Don't you trust my fine handy work?" Jarod said it with just enough of a challenge in his remark to make Parker annoyed. "Fine," she snapped.

Going over to the rope swing, she gave Jarod a mock glare. Cale was standing by Sydney now waiting for his next turn. Miss Parker sat on the rope and put her legs out straight. Jarod began pulling her backward and up high. "Ready?" Gripping the rope a little tighter, she replied, "Yes." He started swaying her left and right to build up a momentum and right before he was about to swing her hard to the right, she lost her tight hold and her body shifted to the underside of the rope swing. "Jarod!" she yelled with an attitude. He couldn't hold back his laughter as he gently and slowly lowered her to the ground. "Stop laughing Jarod, it's not funny." She was embarrassed and angry; and it showed by her red face. Jarod reached down to help her up. "I'm sorry, I can't help it," he replied as he laughed again. "Oww. What was that for?" Jarod said pretending her slap to his arm hurt. "You deserved it." She replied smugly.

Sydney and Cale had seen everything and were both laughing at the scene.

Coming up empty handed for all the address on record for Sydney, Same tried looking up properties under Sydney's brother, Jacob, and found a cabin listed. Quickly writing down the address, he went straight to Lyle's office.

Knocking twice, he waited. "Come in!" Entering Lyle's office, he said, "Sir, I've found a possible location that they may be hiding." Lyle became overcome with excitement and curiosity. "And where would that be?" Handing Lyle the address, he said, "At Sydney's brother's secluded cabin about four hours north of here." Lyle leaned back and brought his hands together. "Excellent job, let's see if we can pay a surprise visit."

Lyle, Raines, Willie, and Sam drove to the cabin along with four other sweepers.

Nightfall came quick and Sydney and Jarod headed into town to pick up a few supplies. Parker had just tucked Cale in and said goodnight. She was flipping through the television channels when the door flew open.

Shocked at first, Parker immediately recognized Lyle coming through the door. "Lyle," she sneered. "Nice to see you again to. Search the place and grab the boy!" he ordered as he kept his gun trained on Miss Parker.

The sweepers surrounded the cabin. Parker saw Sam carrying Cale. "Leave him alone!" she yelled as she ran at Lyle and knocked the gun out of his hand before Raines and Willie appeared.

Willie jumped in front of Lyle and grabbed Parker. She was fighting and kicking with everything she had. Parker looked away for a split second upon hearing Cale's screams and Willie took his opportunity to punch her hard in the face. She landed hard against an end table and hit her head on it. "You idiot, we needed to bring her in alive!" Lyle shouted. Parker was unconscious and blood was staining the floor.

"There no time for this!" Raines said impatiently. "Let's go." Sam kept Cale's mouth covered with his hand and used his other to give him a shot that knocked him out.

The other sweepers gave the all clear, indicating that no one else was around the cabin.

"Jarod will see that we have the boy, he'll come." Raines said knowingly as he got in the sedan with Lyle, the boy, Sam, and Willie. The other sweepers got in the other sedan and they drove back to the Centre.


End file.
